Pte 16442 Clarence Carter

• Age: 24
• From: Widnes, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Clarence Carter was born in 1892 in Farnworth near Widnes (registered in Lancaster), the son of Thomas Carter and his wife Martha (nee Taylor)  who were married on the 13^th June 1870 at St Peter's Church, Liverpool, Thomas was a labourer of Park Lane, father John, whilst Martha was also of Park Lane, father William.   

On the 1891 census the family are living at 104 Mersey Road, Widnes. Father Thomas is aged 43 years, a L.&NW Railway inspector b.Garston, mother Martha is aged 41 b.Speke, children Mary 20 b.Garston, Martha E. 16 b.Widnes, William A. 15, a L.&NW Railway clerk b.Widnes, Thomas 13 a grocers errand boy b.Widnes, and Louisa 11 a scholar b.Garston.   

The 1901 Census finds the family living at 178 Albert Road, Widnes. Clarence is 8 years of age and is living with his parents and five siblings.  His father is 53 years of age and a Garston, Liverpool born railway traffic inspector, whilst his mother is aged 51 and was born in Speke, Liverpool. Clarence's siblings, all born in Widnes are listed as: Thomas is aged 23 and a railway shunter, Margaret is aged 19, Edward, is aged 15 and an office boy, John H. is aged14 a shop boy and Charles is aged 11. 

Clarence was educated at Warrington Road School in Widnes and attended St Ambrose Church where he was a member of the Young Men's Bible Class.

His father died, aged 62, on the 16^th February 1910. 

By 1911 the family are living at 55 Regent Road, Widnes. His mother, now a widow is aged 61. Clarence is now aged 19 and is shown as a drapery assistant. Also present in the house are his sister Margaret Joynson and her husband John who is a grocery manager. They have been married for three years but don't yet have any children. Also, Clarence's two brothers Edward aged 25 and a railway clerk and Charles 21 is an engine fitter. . 

He enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 02nd September 1914 joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 16442. He was aged 22 years and 121 days, occupation clerk born in in Farnworth and was described as being 5'7 tall, weighing 134lbs a 36” chest, with a fresh complexion with brown hair and blue eyes. His religion is stated as Church of England.

From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

Between 11th and 24th June 1916 he was attached to the Machine Gun School at Camiers. 

Upon his return to the 18th Battalion he took part in the attack at Montauban on 01st July 1916 and was killed in action. He was 24 years old.

18^th Battalion Dairy

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks. 

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun. 

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter  wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.    

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257.

Clarence's body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as his name is recorded amongst the thousands of men on the Thiepval Memorial.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. 

On 01^st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”  

His death was reported in the Runcorn Weekly News on 28th July 1916 under the header:

SHOP ASSISTANT FALLS

"Private Clarence Carter, youngest son of Mr Thomas Carter, 18 Saxon Terrace, Widnes, of the King's (Liverpool) Regiment (2nd "Pals"), fell in action in France on the 01st July. the first intimation of the sad event came from a comrade Private Gordon Harrison, late of Farnworth. Mrs Carter wrote to the War Office for further particulars and on Friday last official notice of her son's death was received.

The late Private Carter was 21 years of age and an old boy of Warrington road Council School. He attended St Ambrose Church and was a member of the Young Men's Bible Class. For five years he was employed as a shop assistant in the drapery department of Messrs Hewittsons Ltd, London Road, Liverpool. He enlisted in August 1914, and nine months ago went to France, where he has been a rifleman. In his last letter, written to his mother on 23rd June, he said "I have finished my machine gun course, so I suppose I shall now join the machine gun section, which I think I will like very much. I see by the "Weekly News" that it is true about my old pal, F Strickland. I am very, very sorry, and his wife has my deepest sympathy. I am in the best of health after my short stay of ten days by the sea". 
Private Carter's father, the late Mr Thomas Carter was for many years, traffic inspector at Widnes L. and N.W. Railway Station. Deceased was a brother in law of Mr. Charles, secretary of Widnes Trades and Labour Council. A brother of Private Carter's is in training with an English regiment."         

His family placed a notice of thanks in the Runcorn Weekly News on 28th July 1916: